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rose heavily, for she was far gone with child again, and came around the embroidery frames. For a moment or two she caressed Alinor wordlessly. Then she drew her toward the bed where they could sit side by side, touching. |
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"Every word you say speaks of love. You miss him. You worry about him. What then ails you, Alinor?" |
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"A stupid, unimportant thing that I cannot drive out of mea nothing, a shadow, and it is ruining my life and Ian's." |
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"A shadow Alinor, surely you cannot believe that Simon would disapprove or would deny you the" |
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"I told you Simon has naught to do with this." Alinor uttered a choke of laughter in the midst of her tears. "Would I, for any reason, call Simon a nothing? If Simon knew what I was doing to Ian and why, he would rise from his grave to beat me for such a stupidity. But I cannot help it. I try and I try Oh, let it lie, Isobel. I swear that scolding me will not help. Here I come to comfort you and" |
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"Comfort me? I thought you had come to help me bring another joy into the world. All goes well with me, Alinor, as you know. I do not have your fear of Ireland and, indeed, my news from William is excellent. As soon as I am lightened of the burden I carry, I will go to him there." She cocked an eye at Alinor. "What, no outcry? You are not using all your powers, my love. You are allowing me to come back to the matter you wish to divert me from." |
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Alinor could not help laughing again. "It is not that I do not wish to talk of it, only that I can see no sense in hearing from you what I have already told myself so many thousand times." |
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"Now that shows you are not thinking clearly. You would never hear from me the things you would say. Never would I demean myself to use such language as you do, Alinor. No, now, seriously, my love, you are plainly treading the same path around and around like |
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